Synthesis and odour properties of floral smelling compounds.

In our previous work we have described the synthesis and the olfactory properties of tetrahydropyranyl and tetrahydrofuranyl ethers of alcohols and phenols, as well as compounds of related structure, that were designed with the aim of reproducing the odour of white flowers. Several of those derivatives do exhibit the expected odour, in addition they are more stable to oxydation and cheaper to make that currently used odorants of this type. To provide further information on the relationships between chemical structure and floral odour, here we report the synthesis and the odour evaluation of some spirane derivatives, designed as conformational models of our previously described floral odorants. One of the new compounds, in particular, is endowed with a particularly pleasant odour of white flowers, can be easily prepared from commercial products and is more than other odorants of the same class; these characteristics make this odorant suitable for being used as an additive in perfumery and cosmetics